Newmarket’s Cesarewitch meeting takes centre stage this Saturday and Sam King returns with four selections.
By Charlie Appleby's standards, the 2023 season has by no means set the world alight but nevertheless, he's still operating a decent 23% strike-rate over the last 14 days. The Moulton Paddocks-based trainer has enjoyed tremendous success on this card over the years and arrives in search of his fourth-straight victory in the opening Group 3 Emirates Autumn Stakes (1.25).
He relies on Ancient Wisdom this time around and there are plenty of reasons to believe the beautify-bred son of Dubawi can get back to winning ways.
Charlie Appleby's colt cost a staggering 2,000,000 Euros as a yearling and although you can't say it was money well spent after his debut success at Haydock, he certainly did his credentials no harm that day. He backed that up with a workmanlike display under a penalty on the July Course but looked to be learning plenty on the job, winning with plenty in hand crossing the line eased down under James Doyle.
Ancient Wisdom was subsequently sent off the 7/4 market leader to take the step up to Listed company in his stride at Ascot in July, but after travelling keenly in the early stages of the seven-furlong contest, he faltered late on and finished five lengths adrift of the winner back in third. Connections would probably have left the Sunbury venue slightly disappointed that day but not many could have predicted just how strong the form would turn out to be.
The winner Rosallion has since landed the Group 1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc weekend in tremendous style, while the runner-up, Al Musmak, took out the Listed Ascendant Stakes at Haydock on his next start. The fourth-placed horse will line up in the Dewhurst Stakes on the back of his victory in the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes here recently and the fifth home that day landed a Doncaster Listed event on soft ground.
Soft ground poses a question mark for most of these but he's by Dubawi out of a Dalakhani mare, who won on heavy ground at Chantilly, so there's certainly hope in the pedigree that he'll handle it. There should be more to come from him on the back of a small break and Charlie Appleby can ensure he continues his remarkable run in this Group 3 prize.
Selection: Ancient Wisdom – General 7/4
Heads turn to the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap (2.40) and after recent rainfall, it looks sure to be a proper test of stamina. The last five winners have come from the National Hunt background and it's no surprise to see the well-handicapped Pied Piper heading the market. However, ground conditions may not be ideal for the Gordon Elliott-trained gelding now and it could pay to side with Jesse Evans instead.
Noel Meade's charge arrives having finished a creditable fourth in the Irish equivalent and it's probably fair to say that the race at the Curragh is of a much better standard than what he will face today. Noel Meade's consistent gelding certainly has the form to go well again providing the race 20 days ago hasn't taken too much of a toll, especially given this Galway Hurdle runner-up will relish the testing conditions on offer at the Rowley Mile this afternoon.
Selection: Jesse Evans – General 10/1
Away from Newmarket, York hosts some competitive action and I'm hopeful Wobwobwob can back up his gambled success in the Ayr Silver Cup last time by taking the Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap (2.25) this afternoon.
Adrian Keatley's gelding impressed on the clock when running out a commanding winner of the six-furlong prize at the Scottish venue and it's easy to mark that effort up given it came over a distance right at the bottom of his stamina spectrum.
His proven stamina over further should be a strong asset with the going now officially described as soft at York and stall three also looks a significant positive, given horses gravitated towards that side of the track at yesterday's meeting.
The five-year-old clearly arrives in the form of his life and he looks to have every chance of recording another course success under the hands of Paul Mulrennan.
Selection: Wobwobwob – General 9/2
We head to Chelmsford for our final selection and an opening mark of 63 looks on the lenient side for Free Speech in the Chelmsford City Racecourse Membership Nursery (4.20).
Ed Dunlop's charge has caught the eye staying on nicely on two of her three runs to date and looks on a workable opening mark now sent handicapping.
The daughter of Masar shaped nicely when keeping on into fourth under hands and heels at Yarmouth last time, whilst she also produced a solid time on the clock in the process.
Stepping up a furlong to a mile and a quarter should be well within the compass and it's easy to argue she should improve for the extra stamina test. Switching back to the all-weather should pose no issues and with a good draw to work with in stall two, she looks excellent value at the current odds against the well-supported market leader Made In China.
Selection: Free Speech – General 6/1
